Sunday, August 3, 2003		Books

Spicing up the mother-daughter relationship
Aditi Garg

One Hundred Shades of White
by Preethi Nair, Harper Collins. Pages 294. Rs 295

THE relationship between mothers and daughters has been written about very often particularly by women writers. Women authors are deeply interested in other women, be it mothers, daughters, grandmothers or friends. Although the stories of women are somewhat similar, what sets a particular novel apart, is the treatment the story receives. Preethi Nair does justice to the subject and uses descriptions of food and spices to elucidate her point. She effectively uses metaphors like "putting the weather in the hands of a musician" and equating the sea to a predator.

One Hundred Shades of White brings alive many ironies of life. Having lost her father early in the life, Maya puts up imaginary barricades to distance herself from the one person she truly loves, her mother Nalini. When Maya finds out that her father is alive and well, she starts hating her mother who lied about his death in order to keep her children from feeling the pain of abandonment. Nalini reasons, "Maybe there are one hundred shades of explaining truth, a spectrum from light to dark." Although she comes from a conservative background, Nalini’s character is very strong. This strength is particularly evident in the face of adversity. Her undying faith in the curative properties of spices keeps her going through all odds. She uses peppercorns to burn the feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness lemon juice and ginger to calm and soothe, sweet ripe mango for fertility and promise, lime and honey for dreams and lightly fried onions to make things safe and possible. Cooking helps her bond with her mother and her native land. Every woman who reads the story will be able to identify with it at one level or another. It tugs at the heart for its humble narration.

The almost lyrical narrative alternates effortlessly between the stories of Nalini and Maya and their past and present. The story can be a masala movie script, although it is very refreshingly told. Mundane everyday activities become magical for little Maya in her grandmother’s stories. Food is Maya’s way of displaying that she has taken to British culture like a fish to water. Instead of Indian dishes, she devours western fare. It is the food that her mother spices up with condiments suitable for reconciling their conflict that eventually clears all misunderstandings.

Although the introduction of food as an essential element does spice things up, at places it seems overdone. For instance, when Nalini decides to get married again, she does so in keeping with the nature of the vegetables that she processes; or when Maya describes the fateful accident of Satchin when the tiffin-carrier bursts open. Satchin’s character leaves a lot to the imagination. It is sketchy. A more detailed description of his character could have held the attention of the male reader. In spite of these shortcomings, the novel makes for interesting reading for there is nothing that gets the attention of the female reader more than something she can relate to.